Why use OSS softwere?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What GNU means?
GNU is an operating system that is free software—that is, it respects
users' freedom. The GNU operating system consists of GNU packages
(programs specifically released by the GNU Project) as well as free
software released by third parties. The development of GNU made it
possible to use a computer without software that would trample your
freedom. GNU stands for GNU's not Unix, which makes the term a recursive
acronym (an acronym in which one of the letters stands for the acronym
itself).
From gnu.org
What is Free Software?
Free software means the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.
Free
software is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept,
you should think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”.
More
precisely, free software means users of a program have the four
essential freedoms: The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any
purpose
(freedom 0). The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs.
(freedom1).
Access to the source code is a precondition for this. The freedom to
redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
(freedom
2). The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements
to the public, so that the whole community benefits.
(freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
There
are a group of talented ethical programmers from around the world that
are committed to the idea of writing and sharing software with each
other and with anyone else who agreed to share everything. anyone can be
a part of and benefit from this community even without being a computer
expert or knowing anything about programming. They dont have to worry
about getting caught copying a useful program for for people because
they are not doing anything wrong.
With
NON-free/proprietary software, there is always an owner of the program,
that controls the program and through it exercises power over its
users. Proprietary programs are designed to spy on the users, restrict
them, censor them, and abuse them. For instance, The Amazon Kindle has a
back door that can erase books. Windows, mobile phone firmware, and
Google Chrome for Windows include a universal backdoor that allows some
company to change the program remotely without asking permission. Last
but not least the operating system of Apple iThings does all of that and
more. According to media reports Microsoft shows Windows bugs to the
NSA before fixing them.
Schools
should not use NON-free/proprietary software.They spend huge amounts of
money on marketing to acquire the support of educational departments.
Educating students is a major revenue source for some of the proprietary
software vendors. If a school teaches how to use a proprietary program,
the student will be dependent on that program and after he/she
graduates he/she will have to pay to use that program. Proprietary
software developers use schools to impose permanent dependence on the
whole society.
If
your computer is running Microsoft's operating system, you cannot to
read the source code of the instructions being sent to your computer.
The same applies in part even to Mac OSX. There is no way for you to
know whats going on. You have no way to call in an independent person to
look at whats going on. If you "reverse engineer" Microsoft's compiled
code,in order to look at what is going on, then you are both in
violation of Microsoft's "End User License Agreement".
Closed
source software can be fixed only by a vendor. If something goes wrong
with the software, you send a request and wait for the answer from the
support team. Solving the problem can take much longer than compared to
OSC.
Microsoft
has collaborated closely with US intelligence services to allow users'
communications to be intercepted, including helping the National
Security Agency to circumvent the company's own encryption, according to
top-secret documents obtained by the Guardian.
Microsoft
collude with the NSA. While Skype calls used to be secure from
government or private snooping, changes made by Microsoft have made it
possible for the government(s) to do just that.
posted by rebelsaid @ 9:50 AM
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